He said the spa will include massage therapy with cannabis oil, cannabis-infused hydrotherapy and yoga.

"I think canna-tourism is going to be huge," said Todd Bennett, a general labourer and the first full-time employee of Burnstown Farms.

"To have somebody come down from another country to explore the legal market here in Canada and to be able to stay in a spa where they're able to stay at the farm ... be taught how to cook with cannabis and just have a full-on experience of the whole cannabis market."

Todd Bennett is the first full-time employee of Burnstown Farms. (Robyn Miller/CBC)

Health Canada approval needed

Burnstown Farms is currently in the process of obtaining the Health Canada licence required to grow plants outdoors. The farm has hired two consulting firms to help with the applications, a process Spear described as lengthy and complicated.

"We're confident we'll get the licence. It's just a matter of when," said Spear, who added the majority of their initial budget will go toward surrounding the property with 2.5-metre fencing and surveillance equipment.

Crews were out Friday clearing a road onto the rural property. (Robyn Miller/CBC)

Work at the farm has already begun. Crews were out Friday building a road onto the property, and several swaths of land have been cleared for planting.

The goal is to grow about 4,200 plants per hectare to supply cannabis oil to companies that will sell derivative products such as edibles, which are expected to be legalized in the next year.

"We find that cannabis is a perfect compliment to a spa. It's very relaxing, it has many wellness and health benefits, so we expect it to be quite popular and more effective than just a regular spa," Spear said.

Burnstown Farms Cannabis Company is planning to turn a patch of land near Carleton Place into a cannabis spa and outdoor grow operation. Farm labourer Todd Bennett and CEO Mark Spear spoke with CBC about the plan. 0:45

Corrections

Due to a mathematical error, an earlier version of this story stated the operation aimed to grow nearly 700 plants per hectare. In fact, there will be about 4,200 plants per hectare.